Bargarh attack on minister: MLA seeks bail

Bhubaneswar: Bargarh MLA Debesh Acharya (BJD) and his elder brother and Sambalpuri Bastralaya president Sambit, among 14 others, have moved the Orissa high court for anticipatory bail in connection with their alleged involvement in attacks on two Union ministers at Bargarh on June 24. Among others, who have moved the HC for advanced bail include Bargarh municipality chairman Prashant Behera, zilla parishad (ZP) vice-chairman Soubhagya Ranjan Nayak, ZP member Harishankar Behera and former district BJD president Prabhaditya Mishra.Sixteen others, who were arrested for the attacks and were in judicial custody, were released on bail on Friday. Police had booked total 30 persons.
Stating that the MLA's move shows deep involvement of BJD in the attacks, BJP spokesperson Sajjan Sharma said the development exposed the regional party, which earlier tried to pass the blame of the attacks on farmers and weavers. Debesh said his pre-arrest bail application doesn't implicate him in any way. "Police have registered a case against me. So I have to take legal remedy. That is why I moved the HC (on July 4). But mere allegation doesn't mean that I was involved in the attack," the MLA said. Acharya said let the court decide the fate of the case. Sharma said the political nexus in the attacks is so systematic that DSP Jasobanata Senapati, who was in-charge of the security of ministers Santosh Gangwar and Niranjan Jyoti in Bargarh, was promoted to the rank of additional SP on June 25, a day after the attack.